This weeks Ron-centric episode of Parks & Rec is a solid and funny entry but has a couple of plot lines that are either retreads or don't add a whole lot tom the picture.
Anne and Chris are thrust back together to do nothing more then bury the hatchet on the two of them getting together again. Showing some chinks in Chris' seeming impeccable armor adds a nice wrinkle to the character but I wish they didn't do so through a bit very similar to one 30 Rock pulled off better. Jack shooting the video and can't figure out what to do with his hands is a classic scene from that show and sadly Chris' video wasn't quite as good; had me laughing though.
Elsewhere at Entertainment Seven Twenty, Tom and Jean-Ralphio are spending way more money than they have. Not a surprise at all, they have two NBA players on retainer, and pulling Ben into to look at their financials is a retread of the same plot with Andy and April late last season. It does strengthen the odd Tom and Ben relationship in the end, while also seeming to signal Seven Twenty might be around a while, but again we didn't get anything terribly new here. The Party Switch was awesome though, and the return of Shremp!
Everyone else was sucked into the Ron story line and the results were the highlights of the episode. Tammy 1 has just as much of a transformative power on Ron, neutering his decision making skills and his mustache along the way, turning Ron into a child like lap dog. All this is made even weirder by the fact that it seems that Ron might have a weird mommy issue with his lovers. Seeing Offerman getting to play completely against type was a lot of fun, but it seems to be more of a stunt with the character than any deep look into Ron; besides the mommy stuff. Andy and April are along for the ride here, though they squeeze in a couple good moments, and besides Leslie getting hammered, she has little to do as well. Fun, but fluff, oh well.
Like I said, a solid ep but there wasn't anything terribly substantial on display for any of our characters. Luckily the show still brings the funny and the lack of interesting plots isn't a major hampering on this show as long as it stays this funny.
Bullets:
-"I said a calculator."
-"those are the spice girls"
-Shremp!
-40 dollars on clothes in four years, efficient Mr. Swanson
-I loved Andy and Leslie's opposite reactions, with same words, to Tammy 1 back-story.
-Tammy 1 was basically Ron banging his mother figure, gross.
-"Ouchie."
-Tammy II is back! And she is gone.
-April shielding Andy from Tammy II was a nice, subtle, bit
-"can we take a peak at it?"
-"Burn warts off of the mules."
-why is everyone so great at playing drunk on this show?
-"Everybody pants now. Pants, pants, pants pants pants," might have been my favorite highlight.
-"Melt the shell off a garden snail."
-April can't handle her liquor apparently; she couldn't tough her way through that one
Ok, on to next week, lets hope they don’t play it as safe and continue with the funny.
